#from the Ed Sheeran concert

[smerzbeliever]

sometimes i feel bad for charging dog clients so much but also i have a 5.0 rating and so much experience like i am truly a luxury dog walker

[13uswntimagines]

Safe Harbor (Alessia X Singer!R)

Summary: R is a very famous singer at the end of a very long, very crazy tour. Alessia is there to take care of her.

Warmings: Established D/s dynamics. The use of Daddy, and Collars. No smut.

You knew that you were living a dream.

You knew that millions of people would trade everything to be in the position you were in. 

They would do anything to have stadiums scream their name and for their songs to play on the radio for the world to hear. 

You had been plucked out of obscurity after you unsuspectingly played a bar in Leeds in front of Ed Sheeran when you were 16. A year and a half later you had taken Billboard's Hot 100 by storm, broken the record for most weeks at number one by a new artist… twice, and you were opening for Taylor Swift’s 1989 tour.

That had just been the beginning. 

Now you were on your 3rd world tour, selling out stadiums for yourself, with one of the best-selling albums of all time. 

It was… crazy that a kid from Maidstone who barely had enough to eat growing up had thousands of people screaming your name every night, singing your lyrics back to you like they were anthems. 

Your music was raw, personal. Painfully autobiographical. 

Your fans picked apart every lyric, dissecting your words with obsessive precision. The heartbreak, the loss, the fear woven into every track—they clung to it like it was their story, too. Before You Go, Say Something, Thinking Out Loud—each song became a window into your soul. And they were desperate to see more.

It was why your first album had gone platinum overnight, and every album after it had debuted at number 1. 

They resonated with your honesty, and that’s what made people fall in love with it.

You had expected that part. 

What you hadn’t expected was that they hadn’t just fallen in love with the music—they had fallen in love with you.

The girl with the sunny personality, and the commanding stage presence. The girl who smiled brightly at every meet-and-greet, made them laugh at every interview, and always took time to meet fans, even after long days in the studio or on music video sets. They built you up as their idol, their friend, their fantasy. They flirted with you in meet-and-greets before you were 18 and treated you like you belonged to them. Like they were entitled to every part of you.

At some point, you became an enigma—Y/N Y/L/N, the nine-time Grammy winner. The infallible pop star. The face that was painted on the side of billboards, and smiling in Colgate commercials. 

At some point, just Y/n failed to exist to them, and you liked it that way. 

You did well to dodge their invasive questions, running interviewers around in circles, and answering fans with witty remarks to avoid answering. And over the years (and through 4 albums), you only got better at preventing the fans from learning anything of substance about your private life. The only glimpses they got were through your music, and you liked to keep it that way. 

You did your best to keep it that way.

The only time you let them get close, let the world peek behind the curtain, was during the piano set of your concerts. 

It was dubbed the surprise song set by the fans even though 2 of 3 songs never changed. It was where you sang your most emotional songs, and where you let yourself be vulnerable. Open. Real. 

Tonight was no different. Or at least, you were trying to convince yourself of that.

You sucked in a long breath, your fingers tracing the black and white keys as the final chords of Bruises echoed through the stadium, curling off the walls and over the crowd. Their energy buzzed around you, rolling like an ocean wave.

You could feel it crashing against your chest, adding to the adrenaline bubbling through your veins. 

You took another deep breath, the air catching in your throat as you tried to control your breathing enough so you could talk. So you could give your signature speech before revealing the night's surprise song. 

Maybe tonight was different. 

You felt more… exposed.

More… vulnerable. 

This year was nothing short of a whirlwind. Eighty sold-out shows across the U.S. in the summer, followed by another thirty in Europe and the UK. Three back-to-back number-one singles—no small feat—only knocked from the top spot after 18 weeks by Taylor Swift herself.

It was amazing and incredible and exhausting all rolled together. 

You dearly loved your fans, their passion, and their devotion, but you were drained. 

Your eyes slid closed, allowing the bone-deep weariness to cut through the buzz from the crowd for just a second as you pulled your fingers from the keys, briefly rubbing the leather braided bracelet around your wrist as you reset for the next song.

It was the closest thing you’d had to your girlfriend's touch in nearly 2 months, and it wasn’t nearly enough. One soft touch from her would make it all melt away. 

One touch and she would take away the burden of control that had plagued you since you started the tour. 

You would finally be able to let go and just be.�� 

There were only 6 songs left and then you would be with her, your lighthouse on rocky seas. Your anchor on stormy nights. 

You took another deep breath. 

It was the last show of an incredible year, and you had something very very special planned.

Something no one would see coming. 

Your eyes blinked open as the crowd noise dipped, and you painted your signature smirk on your face as you leaned back toward the mic. 

“So Wembley, how are we feeling?” You asked into the microphone, smiling widely at the roar from the audience that met you. “Fantastic,”

You brought your fingers to the piano, letting them dance delicately across the keys. They had no particular rhythm, though they were in the key that your surprise song would be in. 

You wanted to avoid giving the surprise away yet. 

“So you know, I was thinking about what song I was going to play tonight, trying to figure out which one would be the perfect end to such an amazing tour,” You couldn’t help the little laugh that left you as the audience got impossibly louder, cheering out an indistinguishable mix of song titles that you had yet to play on this tour. You paused for a long second, feeling their cheers only grow, popping your in-ear monitor out for effect. 

It was endearing really, how into it they got (especially when you found out that they had created an entire fantasy league about what version of your outfits you would wear and what songs you would sing). They made it easy to pretend like you were having the time of your life instead of fantasizing about what you would be doing in 40 minutes. 

You shook your head, popping the monitor back into your ear and your fingers returning to the keys, letting their chants fill you up, and drive you forward. 

“And I was talking to one of my favorite people,” You continued, starting to pick out a tune that was a bit closer to the song you were going to play. “Now you all know I don’t normally take requests, but this being the final night of the Eclipse World Tour, and with such special guests in the audience I couldn’t quite say no,” 

Your eyes instinctually found Alessia as you hit the opening chord, and though you could see her expression you could feel her gaze burning into you. 

Seeing through you. 

Even surrounded by people, her attention was the only one you craved. 

“It’s a song I haven’t played for a long time, so I’m going to need your help.” You continued, Never breaking eye contact with her. “Will you help me tonight Wembley?”

The crowd roared in approval, and goosebumps erupted on your skin at the sheer energy they projected at you. It filled your chest and fueled your fingers as you finally hit the signature piano riff that opened the song.

You flashed the crowd your signature smirk, all essence of yourself slipping beneath your on-stage persona. 

And when you opened your mouth to sing the first line; it felt easy. It felt right.

Have you ever fed a lover with just your hands 

Closed your eyes and trusted

Just trusted 

*****

Watching you perform was magic. 

It had always been magic. 

Whether it was a show in Wembley in front of 100,000 people, or one when you were small with a guitar the same size as you, Alessia had always been mesmerized by you. Even before the two of you were old enough to put names to what you were feeling. 

It didn’t matter that she had seen you play thousands (hundreds of thousands) of times, nor that this was not her first time attending one of the shows on this tour. 

She leaned forward on the barricade separating the VIP tent from the Floor sections as you began to play the piano break. 

“She’s incredible,” Leah said, leaning closer to Alessia to be heard above the crowd. “They’re eating out of the palm of her hand,”

Alessia hummed. “She is,”

The audience was glued to every move, every breath you took on stage. She was too, and so were all of her teammates. 

What made it even better was that you were hers, and she got to enjoy you from her favorite seat in the house. 

They hadn’t originally been slated to be in the VIP tent.

Viv had organized the tickets, picking an area on the 2nd balcony because they were the only ones left. Alessia had gone along with it, only mentioning to you that 800$ was crazy for a 2nd tier balcony ticket in passing.

You had sleepily agreed, cursing Ticketmaster and reminding Alessia of the 10-hour meetings you had endured when your fans crashed the site during pre-sale. You hadn’t said anything about it since, so she assumed you had forgotten. 

You did not forget. 

There had been a team waiting to escort them when they arrived, and you had made sure the tent was loaded with all of their favorites. You had also refunded the tickets, and given them away to 23 fans outside of the stadium. 

You liked to do things for her. It was a way for you to serve her even from a distance, and she enjoyed telling you how good you were afterward. 

She definitely had plans to do that tonight. 

She leaned forward on the barrier as you got to the final chorus. 

There was a reason this spot was always her favorite to watch the show from, and why she had been hesitant when they escorted her and her friends to the tent. 

They were close to the stage. Close enough that Alessia could see the cracks in your carefully crafted facade. 

She could see the dark circles under your eyes, and how your smile never met your eyes. She could see the slight curl of your shoulders, and how you kept twisting your bracelet tightly around your wrist. 

She could see the command you had of the crowd wearing on you, and just how in your head you were. 

All of her instincts told her to protect you. To wrap you up, and take the reigns so you could just exist without thinking. So you could submit and know that she would take care of you. 

And sure, her teammates had caught glimpses of the dynamic between the two of you, but you both liked to keep the heavier aspects to yourselves.

It was harder for her to do that when she had watched the toll this tour had taken on you, and knew just how close you were to being able to let go. 

“Is it just me or does she look shattered,” Katie asked as the song came to an end, the final note ringing around the stadium as your eyes once again closed and you sucked in air through your nose. 

Alessia didn’t take her eyes away from you. “Not just you,”

She followed the rapid rise and fall of your chest, and how your fingers silently fluttered over the keys before you began to play again. 

“She’s barely slept at all this week because of end-of-tour meetings,” Alessia continued as you began picking out a new tune. “And she’s been co-producing an album that comes out next month, so she’s barely had time to think, much less do anything else.” 

Leah hummed from her other side. “I’m just surprised you haven’t stepped in yet.” 

Alessia made a low sound in the back of her throat. 

It was… complicated. 

While Alessia had rules that you followed (even while you were on tour) to help protect both your physical and mental health, you both had boundaries when it came to your careers. 

She understood that you had responsibilities and that sometimes you had to prioritize work to make everything run smoothly. (She also secretly relished watching you in boss mode, knowing that you would be kneeling at her feet later.)

The agreement you had was that she would only interfere under 2 conditions. First, if you crossed the Limits the two of you had agreed upon years ago without communicating with Alessia first. Second, if you asked.

“Tonight I will,” Alessia said as your eyes opened and you leaned back towards the microphone, your fingers dancing along the keys.

“Since we have the incredible women of Arsenal in the audience tonight, I think there’s one more song we have to do before continuing the show,” 

The audience roared in response. 

Your smile was charming, even as your eyes danced vacantly across the screaming fans in the pit next to the small stage that held your piano. 

Alessia could imagine the edits that would be online later, the people swearing that your expression was solely meant for them. They would think the way you twisted your bracelet was to show them how much you liked the copies they wore. 

She shook her head. 

The chords under your fingers changed, shifting into another familiar tune. 

North London Forever 

Whatever the Weather

You pulled back from the microphone, tilting your head to the sky as the fans picked up the song all around you. 

The stage lights swelled around you, illuminating the crowd as they sang for you. Your fingers deftly played the background music for the song. 

She could understand why it was a tradition for you. Why you always added North London Forever to the last show of your tours, especially when you ended in London. 

And my heart will leave you never 

My blood will forever

Goosebumps erupted on her skin as the crowd of 100,000 sang the rest of the chorus, and pride swelled in her chest, replacing her worry for just a moment. 

You wouldn’t have done a sing along if you were too far gone. 

Your relationship was built on trust, and Alessia trusted that you were ok for now. She would step in when the show was over, and you were ready. 

****

“Thank you London,”

The final notes of Shut Up and Dance pounded through the stadium. 

You held your arms out wide, as if to physically soak in their cheers as the stage lights dimmed, leaving only one shining against your back, silhouetting you for the audience In a perfect replica of your album cover. Then everything went dark, and the platform you had been standing on lowered so you were under the stage. 

“Great show Y/n,” Your tour manager, Aubrey, said as you stepped off the lift, the crowd noise barely fading.

You nodded in response, your tongue suddenly feeling too heavy in your mouth to form words. it felt like you were trying to think through an old television with terrible reception, the images staticy and broken. Fatigue settled into your bones, heavy and cold. 

A soft robe was draped over your shoulders by one of the production crew, and you twisted the bracelet around your wrist until the edges cut into your skin.

You focused on the pain, letting it ground you as you put one foot in front of the other and allowed your team to guide you from beneath the stage. 

your security team flanked you the second you were out from under the stage, acting like a protective wall. 

“You need to rehydrate.” Steve, your head of security said, pressing a blue Gatorade into your fingers.

They instinctively closed around the bottle, and Steve nudged you again to get you to bring it to your lips. 

“Small sips kid,” Clint added from your other side, as the third member of your security team, Natasha, made eye contact with Steve

You tried to follow their directions, but your hands were shaking so badly you almost dropped the drink. 

You felt Powerful. 

You felt… floaty.

It was so… weird. It usually took you hours to come down from the high of a show, and devolve into… whatever this was. 

To finally give in and call your girlfriend for help. 

You had been… reluctant to bother her in the last few weeks. 

She had been busy with international friendlies, and you didn’t exactly like exploring your dynamic while you were separated. 

Dropping into sub space was hard for you on a good day, guided by Alessia‘s firm but comforting presence. Doing it while the two of you were doing long distance was a painful impossibility. 

The few times it had actually worked were misery for you. Like your brain was made of broken glass and no one was there to help you knit the fractured shards back together. 

Even with her voice on the other end of a video call, it had been brutal. 

You had put it off, and put it off, and now it seemed that your body wasn’t going to give you a choice. 

“I’ll be back.” Natasha said, turning on her heel as Steve shifted to shield you from the people buzzing around backstage. 

You didn’t even acknowledge her, blinking slowly as cling helped you bring the bottle of Gatorade to your lips. 

“Take deep breaths.” Clint said gently. “We have to get to the tunnel.”

You tried, but it was like you were under water, or sucking air through a straw. 

You were crashing, and you still had to face the public one last time before you could let go. 

You swallowed hard, forcing the fog in your brain away and your signature smirk on your face. 

It would satisfy the people waiting for you to make your way out from behind the stage and into the safety of the stadium halls, away from prying eyes.

“Let’s go.” You muttered, pushing the Gatorade back towards Steve. 

It took all of your strength just to utter the word, and you knew it would take every bit of mental fortitude you had to wave at the fans as you passed. 

But it was required.

It was the least you could do for the people who bought obstructed view seats. A thing you had done for every one of your other shows. A thing fans would absolutely notice if you didn’t do it. 

It didn’t matter how much you didn’t want to. 

“Let’s do it.” Clint agreed, positioning his hand on the small of your back, while Steve did the same on your other side. 

You straightened and squared your shoulders. 

You could do this one last act for your fans. Then you could let go. 

*******

“That show is incredible,” Beth said, leaning against the VIP barricade. “I don’t know how she runs around like that for 3 and a half hours,”

“A lot of cardio,” Leah shrugged. “She released a whole behind the scenes video of how she trained for the tour.”

“That video felt staged though.” Viv said. “She was very different then she usually is with us, or you Less,”

The English striker hummed. “She likes to keep separation between her professional life and her private life.” 

“Makes sense.” Katie agreed. “Did you see how many people had braided bracelets in all different colors?”

“I did.” Alessia nodded, her eyes trailing across the area near the stage, looking for your personal assistant. “But they have no clue what hers actually means. You all know her, but the fans just know the idea of her. It’s easier to keep it all separated.” 

It was strange that she hadn’t seen your assistant yet. That she hadn’t come to retrieve her and the team. 

Chloe was usually waiting at the VIP tent to take her backstage before the last fireworks of the show had even finished. 

It had alarm bells swirling in her brain. 

“It’s kind of amazing how confident she is on stage.” Beth agreed. “It’s like she’s 2 different people.” 

“Sometimes she is.” Alessia trailed off spotting a different redhead coming around the stage. Your security instead of your assistant. 

It was hard to wrap her head around the dichotomy between your loud, confident persona on stage and the quiet girl she knew you were, and as your career grew, that difference had only gotten larger. 

Her eyebrows furrowed as Natasha approached them, nodding towards her friends before meeting her eyes. “I need to borrow you, please,”

Katie whistled. “Get it Lessie,” 

“Gotta get that post concert energy out,” Kyra snickered, and the tear erupted into laughter behind her. 

She shot a glare towards her cackling team. “Of course,”

Natasha was a part of your personal security. She didn’t need words to convey that you needed Alessia, and you needed her now. 

“Alone please,” Natasha said, her eyes flickering towards the girls who tried to exit the tent with Alessia. 

The laughter stopped around them, and Alessia nodded once, turning back towards the team. 

“We’ll catch up with you lot tomorrow?” Alessia said, authority that the team rarely heard leaking into her tone. “We can do lunch, or maybe Dinner.” 

Leah stepped forward and nodded, knowing this was not the time to argue with her. “Tell y/n thank you for the tickets and that we send our love,”

“Go take care of your superstar,” Beth nodded towards Natasha.

“I will,” Alessia nodded, stepping out of the tent. 

She meant it. 

You had taken care of yourself for most of the tour. It was her turn now. 

******

You didn’t remember how you got to your dressing room. You didn’t remember waving to the fans, smiling widely and sending them hand hearts. 

one second you were backstage, and then you blinked and Steve was gently closing the dressing room door behind you. 

You paced the room, pushing the dark robe off of your shoulders. You didn't know what to do with yourself. 

It was too warm and too cold. The dress shirt you wore on stage was too soft and too scratchy. Your mind was racing too fast and moving too slow all at once. 

your breathing hitched, and you brought your trembling fingers of one and to your lips to prevent the sobs threatening to bubble out. The other tugged useless at your collar, trying to get air. This was not normal. It was rare you dropped, let alone this hard or this deep. 

It was like quicksand, sucking you into the chaotic spiral deeper, faster, with more force the more you tried to fight it. Your thoughts were a jumbled mess, and your brain was going to rip itself apart trying to untangle them. 

You were in free fall, plummeting faster than you ever had before with no net to catch you. You had put it off for too long, and now you had no choice.

You knew you needed to do something, but making the decision of what you should do felt impossible. 

You were done making decisions for the foreseeable future. 

The sound of the door clicking open and shut again was nearly drowned out by the buzzing in your ears, but you Instinctively turned towards the presence that entered. 

The air shifted around her as she stood in front of you like a mirage, immediately capturing all of your attention. For just a split second, your racing thoughts went quiet, and you were wholly consumed by her presence. It crackled like a warm fire on a cold day, or like a lightning storm over the sea. You couldn't decide. 

You didn’t want to decide. 

And you knew you didn’t need to. 

Alessia- No, your Daddy was here and she would take care of everything. 

Her gaze swept over you, taking in every twitch of your fingers against the buttons of your shirt, and the tremble that snaked its way across your shoulders and down your spine. You felt naked, despite the clothing scratching at your skin. 

She crossed the room in 3 long strides, her hands catching your wrist before you even registered that she had moved. 

”That’s enough, little one.” She said, keeping her voice gentle despite the command clear in it. “You’ve done so well, and I’m so proud of you, but I’m here now.”

She carefully unwound your fingers from here they were tearing at your shirt, placing them on her hips before deftly undoing the buttons. “I’ve got you. Just take deep breaths for me, love,” 

You tried, but it felt like it was stuck in your throat, trapped by the inhuman sound now bubbling past your lips. 

She carefully slid the thin material of your shirt from your shoulders, and you met her eyes. 

The sob you’d been holding in finally broke free, your knees weakening as the weight of it all hit you. But before you could completely crumble, Alessia’s arms were around you, pulling you into her chest. Her scent, her warmth, everything about her surrounded you like a safety net.

Her fingers tangled in your hair, and she rested her cheek on the top of your head. “You’ve done so well, you can relax now. I’m here with you and I’m not going anywhere,” 

Her other hand ran soothing circles on your back, easing the prickles on your skin like the world's best Aloe. “Just breathe, love.”

Her comforting touch seeped past your skin, settling deep into your bones. It eased the knotted panic in your chest, and dulled the sharp, frantic edges of anxiety that raced through you. 

“That’s it little one,” She cooed, her grip on your firm and unyielding. It was tether to reality. An anchor in the crashing storm that was your mind. A lifeline when you were being pulled beneath the tide.

“You’re safe. You’re here with me, and I will always keep you safe. Just relax,”

Her voice was as steady as her grip on you. Commanding in a way that couldn’t be ignored, but soft enough that it didn’t bristle your sensitive instincts. It was a mixture that only Alessia seemed to be able to achieve. A tone she could modulate to perfectly match the situation. 

You melted into her chest, nodding weakly as your tears slowed. Your entire body shuttered with each inhale, and hitched with each breath you blew out. 

You were moving past the uncomfortable phase of the drop where your brain felt like a shattered glass mirror, fractured and sharp, and into the lapping warmth that only Alessia seemed to be able to bring you. 

Alessia’s hands continued their slow, comforting path up and down your back, her breath even and calm, giving you a rhythm to sync your own to. 

“That’s it, little one,” she hummed, pressing a kiss to the top of your head. “You’re such a good girl for me. You’ve done so well. Just let it all go.”

You whimpered. 

It felt too raw, too exposed. But Alessia knew—she always knew.

Her fingers tilted your chin up, forcing you to meet her gaze. Her eyes were soft, but her tone left no room for argument.

“Look at me.” She said, using a finger to gently tilt your chin up. “You’ve done so well being in charge. You’ve run this entire tour, and made so many people happy. I’m so proud of you, but you can let go now. Let me be in charge for a little while,” She capped the statement with a gentle peck to your lips. 

You tried to lean in to continue the kiss, but she pulled away. 

“Later,” She promised, and you nodded once, sinking back into her chest. 

You understood that she didn’t like to start anything while you were like this unless it was well discussed beforehand. While there was any chance that you couldn’t consent, or feel like you could remove consent. 

You weren’t sure how long she stood there and held you, rocking gently from side to side and scratching your scalp. Long enough for the storm in your chest to mellow and for your brain to slowly begin knitting itself back together, grounded in the gentle pressure of your girlfriend. Your daddy.

“Let’s get cleaned up and then we can go home,” She said, when you pulled back enough to look at her. “Do you want your collar?” 

you nodded against her chest, kissing gently under her chin. 

“I need a verbal response, little one,” She said, dominance leaking into her tone to help you wade through the thick fog coating the crevices of your brain. 

It took you a long second to think of the words, and another to push the fog in your mind back enough to actually verbalize them. 

“Yes Daddy,” You said, frowning at how horse and garbled your voice was. 

she hummed, carefully maneuvering you back towards the door. One hand stayed securely wrapped around you as the other reached into the bag you hadn’t seen her enter with and pulled out your soft, brown leather collar. 

You hadn’t seen it since you left for tour, and just the sight was almost enough to send you back into a drop. 

“Easy,” Alessia murmured, guiding you towards the couch that existed in all of your dressing rooms. She sat you on the edge, and kneeled in front of you so she was slightly shorter than you. 

She trailed her hand down your arm to the bracelet around your wrist, carefully unclasping it and tucking it into her pocket. She then brought the soft leather of your regular collar to your neck, gently buckling it closed, making sure it wasn’t too tight. 

Your shoulders immediately relaxed, the full weight of her claim settling on you. 

“Let’s get cleaned up,” She said, catching your hand and standing you up. You went with her easily, leaning your weight on her as she led you to the bathroom. 

The way she undressed you both and got you settled into the warm water of the shower was familiar, routine even. 

You could feel yourself settling as she washed your hair, and cleaned your body of the sweat from the show. 

She touched you like you were delicate, but not like you were fragile, and it was everything you needed to wade back to reality. 

By the time she was using a towel to dry you off, and slipping one of her old UNC sweatshirts over your head you felt almost like yourself again. Your thoughts didn’t hurt anymore, and you were more grounded then you had been. 

“Kneel for me,” She said softly, settling herself on the couch, and placing a pillow at her feet. 

You hummed, and did as she asked, letting her guide you to lean back on her legs. 

You sunk into the warmth of her sweatshirt, surrounded by the scent of her perfume as she toweled off your hair and braided It for you. 

The rhythmic movement of her fingers through your hair and the feeling of safety and Alessia that encompassed you were enough to have your eyelids drooping. 

You blinked heavily at the knock that sounded on the door, and the blonde head of your head of security poking his head in. 

Steve didn’t look at you, steadfastly keeping his eyes on Alessia. “Miss Russo, we have the car ready whenever you are ready to leave.” 

“Thank you, Steven,” She said softly, authority still dripping from her tone. “We’ll be out in a few minutes,”

He nodded and closed the door quietly as he exited. 

“You’re all done, little one,” Alessia said, rubbing gentle circles in your shoulders, as you leaned further into her, your eyes sliding closed without your permission. 

They only opened when she shifted behind you, and you turned to look at her sleepily. 

She smiled gently at you, unable to stop herself from leaning in and pressing a quick peck to your lips. 

This was her favorite version of you, soft and sleepy, unguarded and completely trusting. It was the version that only she got to see, and she was honored that you had chosen her to be your safe place. 

”Alright little one,” She said, her finger hooked into the O-ring at the front of your collar, tugging lightly as she stood. “Let’s go home,”

[babyleostuff]

PHOTOGRAPH | JEON WONWOO

based on "photograph" by Ed Sheeran

SYNOPSIS | Wonwoo knew dating as an idol would be almost impossible, yet he was ready to take the risk. Unfortunately, you were the definition of "right person, wrong time". PAIRING | idol!wonwoo x fem!reader GENRE | angst WORD COUNT| 2.8k

natalia's note | this is wonwoo's pov from this fic, though it can be read as a stand alone

Wonwoo never cared about relationships - he thought goodmorning texts were overrated, planning dates seemed too tiresome, and he didn’t see the appeal of letting someone else wear his hoodies and sweaters. Besides, he was too busy with work and it was hard to focus on anything else than the neverending schedules. He couldn’t remember the last time he got more than five hours of sleep. 

At least that’s what he kept telling himself.

Dating in the industry was hell on earth, he knew that. Wonwoo had witnessed careers end and lifes get destroyed just because people fell in love. So, he made a promise to himself that that would never happen to him - he wouldn’t allow himself to fall for anyone, and spare himself the trouble of a broken heart and a ruined career. He didn’t care that he had no one to cuddle at night, no one to hug, no one to kiss, no one to call during tour. 

And then you came, and changed his entire world. You became his everything, his little ray of sunshine - you were the first person he looked for in the crowd during their concerts, the first person he ran to on the backstage, the first person he called after they won an award. For the first time in his life he felt complete. 

“I’m sorry. It wouldn’t have worked out either way.”

He didn't even want to imagine the look on your face when he said it. Through the fucking phone. 

Wonwoo was on the verge of throwing up, but he knew that if he didn’t end it now, he’d never do it. He spent the last week crying before falling asleep from exhaustion in the night, and quickly wiping the tears that rolled down his cheeks during the day - he knew what he had to do, or both of your lives would get destroyed, and that’s something he’d never be able to live with. 

“Wonwoo, can I talk to you?” He didn’t know what to expect when their manager approached him in the middle of their rehearsal, but he definitely didn’t expect to hear that he had to break up with you, or his work and your safety would be on the line.

Wonwoo pulled the phone back from his ear, and with a shaky finger pressed the red button. 

That would be the last time he’d ever talk to you. 

We keep this love in a photograph We made these memories for ourselves Where our eyes are never closing Hearts are never broken And time's forever frozen still

Wonwoo didn’t bother with picking up his suitcase from the trunk, he knew Mingyu would pick it up for him. It generally seemed that he couldn’t be bothered with anything other than drinking himself into oblivion and crying until he passed out from exhaustion ever since he broke up with you. All of that just so he'd try to erase every possible memory he had of you together. 

With heavy shoulders, and a headache, Wonwoo shut the door to his room behind him, enveloping himself in the darkness. Usually, you’d already be there, dressed in one of his hoodies, lying on his side of the bed because you fell asleep while waiting for him. He’d tuck you in, making sure you were warm and comfortable, before he’d take a quick shower and unpack some of his stuff, so he wouldn’t have to worry about it in the morning. 

The absence of you in his bed didn't hurt as much as what he saw on his bookshelves and desk, though - countless photos of you from trips, nights spent together in your apartment, photos from parties with the guys and their girlfriends, and pictures he took especially with you in mind. 

His favourite one had to be the one from Japan, when you and the rest of the seventeen girlfriends flew out to Tokyo and surprised them after they won the daesang. You were all huddled on the floor of the hotel room, trying to fit in the picture, as all of you had your arms wrapped around each other, smiles on your faces. Wonwoo could practically hear your laughter, as DK almost knocked the table down, because Seungkwan pushed him to be sure he’d be in the frame. 

“Move your ass, I want to be in the picture!” Seungwan yelled, digging his elbow into Seokmin's stomach. 

“You are, you idiot. Can’t you see that half of your face is in the frame? Stop hitting me!” DK yelled back, pushing Seungwan in return. 

Neither of you knew what was ahead of you at the time, and Wonwoo couldn’t stand the look of love in your eyes, he couldn’t stand the way he was shamelessly staring at you with nothing but adoration, like none of the other twenty people in the picture existed. 

“Fuck!” Wonwoo yelled, slamming the photo against the floor, breaking the glass. 

“Wonwoo, are you okay?” Mingyu knocked on his door a second later, making him wonder how long his friend had been standing there. “Just leave me alone,” Wonwoo said, his voice breaking, as the first tears started falling. He was surprised he was still able to cry, considering how much he was doing that for the past few days. 

“Leave me… alone.” 

So you can keep me Inside the pocket of your ripped jeans Holding me closer 'til our eyes meet You won't ever be alone

“I miss you.” 

Wonwoo couldn’t see your face, but he knew you were pouting. He giggled to himself, and nuzzled his face further into the pillow like a lovesick teenager, smashing his glasses against his face in the process.

“I miss you too, baby,” he said, picking up his phone from the bed, as if it would make him feel any closer to you. “But I’ll be home in a week.” A week too long. 

He could hear you sigh angrily, as you started your usual rant about why overseas schedules shouldn’t be longer than five days, giving him a recap of the list you have written down in your notes app. “You can laugh as much as you want, Jeon Wonwoo, but I’m suffering here.” 

There was nothing else for him but to laugh at your sulking tone, he loved how you didn’t have any limits when it came to him and dissing his schedules. “Do you have the book I gave you before I left?” Wonwoo asked, and immediately heard some shuffling, as if you were getting up from the bed. 

“Of course, but I’m not in the mood for reading,” you sighed. To be honest, you were rarely in the mood for reading - you preferred being read to. Specifically by Wonwoo. Definitely not because you were addicted to his deep and velvety voice, at least that's what you were telling him. 

Wonwoo knew better. 

“Go get it and open it,” Wonwoo said with a soft smile on his lips, laughing when he heard your annoyed groan.

He waited patiently for you to find the book and discover a photo booth picture you thought you had lost a while ago. You took it on one of your first dates, and Wonwoo knew how much you loved that photo, so he was over the moon when he found it laying under the bookshelf when he was cleaning your room. 

“How? What? Wonwoo?” you gasped, and he couldn’t help but laugh at your surprised reaction. 

“I found it some time ago, but forgot to tell you.”

He heard you sigh quietly, and from what he could judge it wasn’t a happy sigh. “Now I feel even more alone.” 

“Baby,” Wonwoo murmured, his tone matching your sad one. “We only have a week left, you won’t even notice when I’ll be back.” 

“You promise?” 

“I promise.” 

And if you hurt me That's okay, baby, only words bleed Inside these pages, you just hold me And I won't ever let you go

“You said you’d be home!” 

This wasn’t how the evening was supposed to go, not at all. You had been planning this date for a while now - it wasn’t anything big, just a homemade dinner and a movie, but any moment spent together was special for you, so it didn’t really matter what you did. And what could be better than to prepare a nice meal together and then eat it cuddled under fluffy blankets, while watching a bad movie you could both make fun of. 

If only Wonwoo’s practice didn’t run late. 

“I’m sorry, but I told you my phone ran out of battery," he said, pointing at his dead phone helplessly. “And we really were busy, baby. You know how the comeback season is,” he sighed, and ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the ends. 

“I know, but if you really cared about me you’d make sure to at least text me. I was waiting for four hours Wonwoo, it’s literally 1 am!” You said, your tone getting angrier and angrier. 

Wonwoo understood why you were angry, he wasn't surprised, but he thought that maybe you would be a little more understanding. On the other hand, he knew how much you were looking forward to this date, he was waiting for it himself, and the fact that he didn't even text you certainly didn't make the situation better. 

“Sweetheart, please,” he tried reaching for your hand, but the second his fingers touched yours you pulled away. 

“You're a bad boyfriend Wonwoo, you ditched me like I was nothing.” 

Your voice was full of venom and Wonwoo couldn't help the slight pain he felt in his chest. Your words when you were angry always hurt him like hell, but he didn't expect to hear something like that. He knew you didn't mean it, of course you didn't - you were angry, tired, hungry, and Wonwoo knew it was pointless to blame you for your words. He loved you too much to do it. 

But before he could say anything, he felt your arms around his neck. 

“I’m so sorry, Wonwoo. I didn’t mean it, I’m so stupid,” you mumbled into his neck. “I love you, I’m sorry,” you kept repeating. 

“Hey, it’s okay,” he ran his hand over your arm, cradling the back of your head with the other. “We both messed up a bit, but it’s okay, baby.” 

“I'm just afraid that one day I'll say something stupid enough to make you leave me,” you whispered, as if you were afraid that if you said it a little louder, your words would become true.

"Just hold me, baby, and I promise I'll never let you go."

Now Wonwoo would give anything to hear even the worst insults about him from you. He tilted the glass to his mouth, which turned out to be empty - just like the whiskey bottle he had taken from Mingyu, not that the younger minded. Or maybe he did, but Wonwoo didn't care much. He snorted and put the empty glass on the night table, from which he took a photo framed in a black frame instead.

Your faces were covered with a white face masks and your heads were adorned with pink cat headbands, and even though you were definitely too close to the camera, to the point where the photo was blurry and unclear, Wonwoo could still see your wide smile perfectly. 

It was from the date Wonwoo surprised you with a few days after your failed one. It was one of the best nights of his life.

Oh, you can fit me Inside the necklace you got when you were sixteen Next to your heartbeat where I should be Keep it deep within your soul

“You know my ex boyfriend got me this, right?” You raised an eyebrow at him, looking at him sceptically.

“Baby, you were sixteen then,” Wonwoo flicked your nose. "I will not be jealous of your great love at the age of sixteen."

You muttered something under your breath, frowning at him adorably. “If you want, I can buy you a new one,” he said, pointing to your necklace.

“No,” you muttered, not looking at him. Cute. "I like it."

"Exactly, so stop whining and let me put the picture in," he couldn't help but smile as he looked at the photo of himself in your necklace, resting right above your heart.

“You picked out the worst picture of me there is, I hate you,” you groaned, hitting your head against his chest.

“Well, I love it, and that’s what matters. Now,” Wonwoo grabbed your hand, kissing your knuckles. "I’ll always be with you."

When I'm away, I will remember how you kissed me Under the lamppost back on Sixth street Hearing you whisper through the phone "Wait for me to come home"

Wonwoo looked around his bedroom with droopy eyes (was it from crying, alcohol or tiredness he didn't know), which less than three weeks ago was full of life - full of you. 

The knowledge that he would never see you again weighed on him like a stone on his heart, but even so - Wonwoo didn’t want to forget you, no matter how much it hurt. He wasn't even sure he could even if he wanted to, you were present in every corner of this room - your pillow still smelled of your perfume, there were your skincare products on his desk, which you never kept in the bathroom for some reason, and your sweater was still lying on the back of the chair in the corner because you were too lazy to put it in the wardrobe. 

Wonwoo grabbed his phone with a trembling hand, its screen lighting up and displaying a wallpaper with a photo of you that he took right before he left for the tour. You were in bed, your hair messy and dishevelled, your eyes still closed and your lips in a sweet pout - you didn't even know he took the photo, but Wonwoo couldn't help himself. 

"Won, you said you'd wake me up," you mumbled, your voice muffled by the pillow and duvet that covered almost your entire head.

“But you're not sleeping,” he said quietly with a smile, brushing strands of hair from your face.

You murmured something, pulling the covers over your head. Wonwoo couldn't help but laugh at your silly antics - he loved how clingy you got whenever he had to leave early in the mornings, you were like a cuddly teddy bear that wanted all the hugs in the world. “You know what I mean. I wanted to help you get ready to leave,” you complained from under the covers.

"I love you, baby, and I love it when you help me, but right now I'd much rather have you get some sleep."

“But I'm going to miss you,” you groaned, poking your head out from under the covers.

“It's only a week and a half,” he said and kissed your forehead gently.

Unconsciously, Wonwoo raised his fingers to his lips. Was that really your last kiss?

"Fuck," he cursed under his breath, running a hand over his face. There was one more thing he had left of you - your voicemails. With a shaky finger he pressed on the last voicemail you sent him, a day before he broke up with you. The second he heard your voice it was like he magically sobered up - his mind was clear as day, and it immediately took him back in time to when the only thing he looked forward to was coming home to you. 

"Hi baby, I know you’re sleeping already, but I just wanted to record a little message, so you have something nice to wake up to. These first few days apart are so hard, I really miss you, especially at night. I got so used to our little bedtime routine that the house feels so quiet and empty without you, like something is missing, you know? You’re going to call me a hypocrite, but you know what else I’m missing right now? The light from your computer when you game late at night and I can’t sleep because of it. Or how I have to beg for you to come to bed for at least two hours, before you finally do. (laugh). I really do miss your bed hair, though. Now with them being so long too, you look so cute. (laugh)."

"But you know, last night, and don’t make fun of me, but I had to put on your hoodie to sleep because I missed your smell, I thought about the first time you left for tour since we got together. I remember how you walked me home after our date because it was late, and you were so adorably awkward. You still are. Anyways, we stood under that lamppost right by my house, and we were talking for a bit, and I remember how sad I was that you had to leave. I know you were too but didn’t want to show it, my strong baby. And then you kissed me. (pause) I will always remember how you kissed me under that lamppost. And how you said “wait for me to come home”. "

"I’ll always wait for you, Wonwoo. No matter what."

taglist (if you want to be added, check my masterlist): @jeonghansshitester @soul-is-a-strange-kid @weird-bookworm @sea-moon-star @hanniehaee @wonwooz1 @byprettymar @edgaralienpoe @staranghae @itza-meee @eightlightstar @immabecreepin @whatsgyud @hyneyedfiz @honestlydopetree @vicehectic @dkswife @uniq-tastic @marisblogg @aaniag @daegutowns @carlesscat-thinklogic23 @embrace-themagic @ohmyhuenings @nidda13 @hrts4hanniehae @k-drama-adict @isabellah29 @f4iryjjosh @bangantokchy @mrswonwooo @bangtancultsposts @lllucere @athanasiasakura @chillseo @onlyyjeonghan @haecien @caramyisabitchforsvtandbts @hannahhbahng @valgracia @ohmygodwhyareallusernamestaken @mirxzii @hhusbuds @wonranghaeee @rosiesauriostuff @gyuguys @aaasia111 @tomodachiii @veryfabday @lilmochiandsuga @asasilentreader @mrsnervous @bewoyewo

[inkwolvesandcoffee]

TF!141 hearing you sing for the first time

CoD ML

John Price

John always chimes in when you’re listening to jazzy music like Frank Sinatra’s and Michael Bublé’s.

Despite claiming otherwise, he’s guilty of giving many a home concert when he thinks you’re out the door. So more often than not, it’s you catching him singing.

John loves singing to you while slow dancing in the kitchen. The most stupid grin will break out on his lips when he does. But, honestly, can you blame him? He’s on Cloud Nine whenever you’re in his arms.

(Or balancing on his toes as he guides you through the dance)

Simon ‘Ghost’ Riley

Ghost leans against the fridge while watching you quietly sing to yourself. Usually it’s him cooking dinner, but after much debating you finally managed to convince him to let you do it (for the first time in two months).

Now, the only time Simon will allow for Ed Sheeran is when you’re singing along to his songs like this evening. Although, he also doesn’t turn off your music when you’re listening to the singer-songwriter while cleaning the house (another daily debate because he’s actually a bit of a neat freak).

He likes it better when you sing something else, however. In fact, a proud warmth spreads in his chest when he notices you’re singing along to one of the playlists he’s made for you. Sure, he doesn’t expect you to scream your lungs out during certain parts of songs by Sleep Token or Bad Omens. But he does like that you’re listening to and evidently liking the songs he likes.

It’s difficult for Simon to express himself and to communicate with you (at times). However, he’s glad he’s found a way via music.

Little do you know how much your voice comforts him, puts him at ease.

It’s his guide to you.

And he wants to hear every single note.

Kyle ‘Gaz’ Garrick

Gaz immediately joins you in song, phone in hand and iTunes on if he doesn’t know the lyrics. Fight me on this, but I dare to bet he kinda sounds like Pharell Williams.

Kyle flat out refuses to participate in karaoke, though. Simon knows not to pressure him any further when he does (he’s lost microphone rights after one song the first time you and the lads went), but Soap and John don’t take ‘no’ for an answer as easily. Eventually they do… after you’ve told them off for the third time. He’ll never admit it, but Kyle’s glad you come to his aid. Although, he’s not so sure the men would listen as well out in the field. Then again, he still recalls the furtive glances around the table the first time he introduced you to the task force and you asked them to come over for dinner.

He still doesn’t know how you did it, but whatever magic you worked to keep things lowkey, casual, relaxed, and civil (not a single swear word or cuss to be heard the entire night) was impressive.

To be fair, you’re always enchanting to Kyle.

And as enthralling as a siren when you sing to him

Soap McTavish

Most of the time, he’s the one initiating a veritable home concert. Or, rather, musical.

Yes, you read that right.

MUSICAL.

Johnny loves musical songs and you often catch him watching replays on YouTube of Hamilton, Phantom of the Opera, or some other show in the West End (Boys from the Blackstuff, anyone?). That being said, though, if he’s on leave, he’ll occasionally book a weekend in London for the two of you so he can drag you along to one of the many theatres. Of course, to repay the kindness, he takes you out for lunch if the show is in the early afternoon or a nice restaurant for dinner. 

Now, you tagging along is a given which wouldn’t need compensation whatsoever. Nevertheless, Johnny feels guilty about making the days down south about his passion and fun rather than yours. So the least he could do is treat you.

Though his company is already enough.

The shared moment, away from the battlefield, away from army life, seated in a theatre to immerse in a play, is enough.

Your man being Johnny McTavish rather than Soap is enough.

It’s plenty. 

[fookinhellcurlyy]

LARRY RESOURCES: A beginner's guide

Important Note: There’s a lot of debunked information that might not have reached other Larries yet (for example, the “rejected on Christmas return call” twitcam situation). Always double-check what you share on social media and try to add context whenever possible to avoid confusing baby Larries.

Most importantly, remember: H, L, their families, their friends, and all of us fans—including your fellow Larrie friends/moots—are real people. This is real life. TPWK. 💙

────x────

I. BEGINNER RESEARCH

For easy digestion, I’ve included direct links and added credits wherever possible. There are other important discussions about the topics included here, but I only selected some 'quick read' ones where you can have the whole overview without scrolling through tons of posts. Other advanced deep dive resources will be added to the next section.

1. ANNUAL TIMELINES

Source: Cosmic Leeds Format: Video  Links: 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023  Note: Road to Larrying starter pack. Great summary of the years’ highlights, but there are TONS of highly significant details (that were either not discussed or adds more contexts) that weren’t included, obviously for the sake of making a compact and coherent timeline. Source: BostonKatie617 (X/Twitter) Format: Excel Link: Larry’s Great Big Doc of Everything Note: Highlight - Collection of day-to-day evidence from 2022 to 2024 (as of writing) + promos from FITF and HH, etc.  Extra Source: Unknown (I’ll try to find the original source on Tumblr - I only got to save this link) Format: Excel Link: Solo OT4 Shows Note: Shows HL’s tour schedules and how they wrap around each other (newsflash, they fly together and support each other’s tours)

──

2. IMPORTANT LARRY PLACES AND DATES

Leeds Masterpost by alarrytale | Link 𓏔 Important Festival in Larry history.

Manchester Masterpost by bulletprooflarry | Link 𓏔 “All Along”. Ed Sheeran in Manchester.  𓏔 Supporting info - such as the timeline of Ed’s shows in Manchester that aligned with the timeline of creation of All Along - is on Cosmic Leeds’ video. 

Dallas Masterpost by ohthefond | Link | Extra 𓏔Kidd Kraddick interview. “Genuinely, seriously” ‘denial’. Glassy-eyed, wrecked H.

Australia & NZ Masterpost | Link 𓏔 Larry honeymoon extravaganza. 𓏔LOTS of iconic interviews and Larry on tour moments came from here.

France / Valentines Day 2012 Masterposts | mybodyfails | thisismyoneluckyprize 𓏔Famous one and only Larry interview. Mario Kart interview analysis. 

Jamaica Masterpost by cristinayanggirl | Link 𓏔 Yahoo UK Reaction | Link 𓏔 Receipt 1 | Receipt 2 (taken with huge grains of salt)

Belfast / October 20, 2015 Masterpost by bulletprooflarry | Link | Extra | Extra 𓏔 Belfast is the only 1D Concert that was ever cancelled. The fans were inside the venue and the opening act had already taken the stage before someone went up to announce that the concert was cancelled. The reason given was Liam apparently had diarrhea. Meanwhile, another media outlet was to take an interview with Niall and heard that he was the one who was supposedly sick. Believed to be related to BBG. 

──

3. TATTOOS

All about HL’s tattoos.

Tattoos Timeline by bulletprooflarry | Link

Tattoos Timeline by BPL repost by hoovesandfloorpaws | Link

Tattoos Timeline by Cosmic Leeds | Link 

Gay Sailor (Nautical) Tattoo Discussion on Reddit | Link

Gina (twopoppies) Papillon tag | Link

──

4. 7 (x4) AND 28 REFERENCES

Significance of 28 / 7 (x4) to HL’s life. Harry instigated the 9/28 thing which led larries to dig more into the significance of the number.  

“28” X/Twitter Thread by teaandfrozenpea | Link

“7” Masterpost by so-idialed-9 | Link

──

5. LARRY’S HOUSES

They live together.

Houses Timeline by bulletprooflarry | Link

Cosmic Leeds’ Houses Summary | Link

My Houses Tags | Link

──

6. CONCEPT OF HOME

‘Home’ as a recurring theme in Larry’s work. 

Home Timeline | Link

Still The One Timeline | Link

──

7. RBB/SBB AND THE BIG GAY WAR

Cosmic Leeds’ RBB/SBB Summary | Link

RBB/SBB for Dummies by louisandthealien | Link

Mr R.B. Bear & Co Financial Estimate | Link | Link 𓏔 Debunking the claim that it was ‘the sound guy’ who was behind the bears.

Fan RBB and Harry in 2022 | Link

──

8. MUSIC/LYRIC ANALYSIS, PARALLELS, AND OTHER DISCUSSIONS

Lyric analyses and parallels, mainly. Other music promotion-related discussions may be checked through other blogs’ tags (i.e. Gina - twopoppies, Daisy - daisiesonafield, etc - added in the ‘Advanced Research’ section)

Larrylyrics Tumblr Archive | Link

Bluewinnerangel Tumblr Archive | Link

Ella (ialwaysknewyouwerepunk) Tumblr Archive | Link

Gina/Daisy/Allie’s Tumblr Archive | Link

Cosmic Leeds’ Lyric Analysis Summary Video | Link

EXTRA: As for lyric changes, they could sometimes be subjective. Sometimes, what you read also translates to what registers in your brain, but if you hadn’t seen the text prior, your ears might hear a different thing. For me personally, the clearest lyric changes I love are as follows:

Lou’s “I LOVE HIM, I HATE IT” for Back To You  𓏔 Compiled Summary, Context, + Timeline | Link

Harry’s Juice Lyric Change 𓏔 SXM “Louis ONTO my drawers” (with BBC) Analysis | Link 𓏔 BBC “Lou baby I’m a whole damn meal” Live Lounge by tonix3 | Link

──

9. OTHER CODING / SIGNALING

Only adding some of the notable ones. It’s a big separate topic.

The Queer Code: Secret Languages of LGBTQ+ Art | Link 𓏔 Non-Larry related but a good video about queer coding

Harry and the Blue Bandana  𓏔 Summary by genuinelybelieve-blog | Link 𓏔 Timeline by bulletprooflarry | Link

Harry and Louis’ Blue | Link

Louis and Queercoding by No Stunts Magazine | Link

The Bears, Queer Culture, Coding, and Camp!Louis vs LT™ 𓏔 Part 1 by dogsliampaynedoesntinstagram 𓏔 Part 2 by hoovesandfloorpaws

Coded Clothing Tag by Gina | coding | blue and green

Signaling Tag by Gina | Link

──

10. RECEIPTS

Collection of receipts/’proofs’ from HL, their families and friends, fans, and non-fans. Always take them with a huge grain of salt. 

Daisy (daisiesonafield) Tumblr Archive | Mobile | Desktop

Gina (twopoppies) Tumblr Archive | Mobile | Desktop

Larryreceiptsproof Tumblr Archive | Link

──

11. BABYGATE 

Big docs about BBG. Read with caution and respect. It’s a very sensitive topic, but most larries approach/touch this topic without propagating hate or disrespect towards F (he is just a kid), but more about understanding the concept of babygate in Hollywood in general, how fake pregnancies and babies exist in the entertainment industry, and how the management+media can easily manipulate the narrative of an artist’s image.

Complete BBG Timeline PDF (95 pages) 𓏔 Ideal starting point. Concise and coherent. 

BBG Masterposts by tellmethisisnotlove (approx 100+pages) 𓏔 Great supporting document to the one above.

BBG Slideshow (107 slides)  𓏔 Photo references and comparisons of the Clark’s and Tomlinson’s. 𓏔 It’s a good addition in my opinion since most comments we see is how F is a carbon copy of L, and having the photo references could help you form your own opinion about it.

Babygate Analysis/Conclusions: A Non-Larry Perspective 𓏔 Important read. Non-biased opinion from a non-larrie perspective.  𓏔 Has BBG tags of popular Tumblr blogs at the bottom.

The Big Kiwi Talk 𓏔 Mainly about H’s Kiwi. Highlighting this: H did the famous ‘Kiwi x3’ during HSLOT’s encore in July 14, 2018. July 14 is the anniversary of the beginning of BBG. 

BBG Quick Summary and Masterpost 𓏔 Quick-look reference. Some links might be dead.

Note that all of these are backed up with documentation and real pieces of information released during the height of BBG (pre and post-birth of F) - whether as a form of an article, a tweet, pap pics, etc. In the end, it’s all up to the reader how you’d analyze and take them all in.

──

12. OTHER TAGS TO CHECK

Check out the tags in the blogs cited under the Advanced Research section. There are too many to put here and/or hard to summarize, so it’s better to do deeper dives using the tags.

Beards and Stunts

Louis’ Sexuality

Harry’s Sexuality

Denials

Debunked 

Closeting and PR 

AND SO MUCH MORE. Take it easy - one topic at a time, as it could easily get overwhelming. This rabbit hole just gets deeper as you go, and don’t forget that we’ve condensed 15 years worth of stories.

Guide by @fookinhellcurlyy | originally posted on my now-backup account, @fookinhellcurly. Will update and create another part as needed.

[Part II—Advanced Research]

[hockeyandhrsepwr]

Life Lessons: The Intro

Fresh of a world tour, y/n l/n announces her next album.....

Life Lessons Masterlist

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liked by fan28, user0929 and others

yourusername Life Lessons. Coming soon.

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fan1 askkskakskwek

fan39 new music?! ahhhhh

fan37 babe the cover pic?! who hurt you

usert882 When??

yourusername soon:)

Notes

Notes pop star y/n l/n announces new album: Life Lessons. To learn more about the album, check out our conversation with the young talent at this link

What’s next for y/n?

By Michelle F.

July 20, 2023

On the eve of y/n l/ns final date for her sold out world tour, I receive a phone call. It’s an invitation to the show in Paris La Defense Arena, and the opportunity to speak to y/n about what’s coming next for the pop sensation. A no brainer really. I’ve been following y/ns journey pretty much since she came onto the scene and to hear that she personally requested me to speak to? That was a shock but an absolute honour. So I hop on the Eurostar and make my way to the City of Love, Lights and Dreams. 

 A mere three hours later I’m waiting in the wings as Y/n takes the stage to a deafening crowd. The Monaco native cracks a joke in french, later translated as a slight dig at the French but all in good fun. The performance is electric as y/n performs tracks from her first three albums, all of which took the world by storm and dominated charts. One of my favourite shows that I’ve been to in a while.  Keep reading to hear more about our conversation after the show. 

Michelle: Hi y/n! That was an incredible show!

Y/n: Oh thank you Michelle, youre too kind. 

M: How does it feel, being onstage and performing for that large of a crowd? Tonight’s was pretty big but not the largest of your tour, correct?

Y: I think we had a few bigger, but it’s hard to explain. This is something I’ve dreamed of for my entire life so even though its nerve wracking, I know that I’m where I want to be. This tour has been pretty eye opening! Tonight was special though! I’ve been to many a concert in those stadium with my friends, since it was the closest major arena to Monaco so we could just hop on a train and see our favourite artists and make a girl trip out of it. 

M: That sounds so fun! This was your first tour headlining, what did you find was the biggest difference between that and opening? You opened for Ed Sheeran on his tour after the release of your second album and now for your third youre headlining.  

Y: besides people being here mostly to see me, not someone else, longer sets is the biggest difference. But i’m working with lots of the same crew that worked on the tour with Ed so it’s been pretty epic!

M: So the big question, what’s next?

Y: well….I might have something coming soon. 

M: oh, do tell! A new album?

Y: I guess I can tell you :) My next album, Life Lessons, will be releasing pretty soon. 

M: tell me everything? When are we looking at release? What’s it all about? Track names?

Y: haha, no definite date yet, but it will be soon (she winks). As for what it’s about, life. It’s been about three years in the making, so the lessons that I’ve learned over the past three years. Track names you’ll find out along with everyone else haha 

M: I guess I can accept that. Three years? How so?

Y: well, its a series of songs that I’ve written over the past 3 years at varying points and finally decided, you know what, lets release them and see what people think. 

M: will it be similar to your previous albums, stylistically, or will we see something more than the indie pop sound we’ve come to know from you?

Y: Everything really. my usual (she air quotes) sound, but some songs with slightly different vibes. There may even be a few country inspired.

M: Country’s a new genre for you. Are you a big fan normally?

Y: oh absolutely. Its nowhere near as popular here in Europe, but my granddad is from Georgia so I grew up with it in the house. When I was putting all the lyrics to music, a few of them I wanted to have a country feel, so I reached out to few friends and got opinions and everyone loved it. I decided that I dont mind if my fans dont love those songs, this album is for me. I hope they do, of course, but it is a different genre than my normal so I’d understand if they dont vibe with them as much as my other songs. 

M: Speaking of friends, any co-writers or collaborators on this album? You recently had a track with your ex boyfriend Noah Kahan on his album. Is he returning the favour?

Y: ha, nope. This one is all me. My producer and best friend, Bella, and my tour band helped with laying down the tracks, but lyrics are all me. 

M: well I’m excited. And sorry to bring it up, but your realtionship with Noah, did that provide any inspiration for the album? 

Y: yes, but probably not in the way people will be expecting. Noahs great though. We were great friends before our fling started and we’ve stayed good friends after. We all have those moments right, where we think that trying to be more is a good idea. He’s an incredible guy though. 

M: So does the album follow any kind of order? 

Y: Somewhat chronological over the period but nothing concrete. 

M: well y/n I hope our readers feel the same but I can’t wait!! I’ll be impatiently waiting for the release. Thank you again for taking to time to talk to me today. Enjoy the little break you’ll have!!

Y: thanks Michelle, I’m sure well talk soon!

Get excited readers,  this album is going to be special. 

[whydoeseveryonewanttobangchan]

🌸 Hold me in your arms… 🌸

✎ Pairing: Chan x reader

✎ Genre: Fluff / Romance / Song-fic

✎ Summary: After years of stolen glances and undisclosed desires, something finally happens between you and Chan after a show.

✎ CW: Quick mention of being in a crowd of people, Ed Sheeran music 💀

✎ Word count: 977

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

With a tight grip on your wrist, your friend guides you through the crowd at the end of a Stray Kids concert. Hundreds of people push in different directions, headed for the exits, but you’re headed backstage.

Felix was one of your best friends growing up, and you haven't seen him or his new best friends in what seems like ages. You loved all of them, but you've had a huge crush on Bang Chan for the longest time.

You finally make it out of the sea of people and navigate to the hallway where Felix said a security guard would take you and your friends back. You find the man without much trouble, and you’re directed into a small-ish room filled with the sweaty post-show performers and some miscellaneous furniture. For some reason, an old Ed Sheeran album is playing from some speakers on the far side of the room.

Your friends head over toward Felix but you make your way to the small loveseat, where Chan seems to be headed, too.

He sits down first, placing his hands next to his legs. As you lower yourself onto the couch, Chan’s hand accidentally brushes against your thigh. Both of you blush almost immediately.

Your stare is just long enough for you to briefly examine his dark eyes before you turn your heads down to your respective laps. You try to hide your growing smile and refocus your attention on the rest of the room.

The group conversation carries on steadily. You discuss their tour, how everything's going with the new album, and reminisce on memories from your childhood and years before. Through all of this, you and Chan have small seconds of contact: his arm against yours, his hand against your arm, your hand on his knee, his hand on yours.

The conversation slowly dies and smaller groups branch off to discuss who knows what. You and Chan continue to sit in your original spots in comfortable silence, with his thumb lightly massaging the top of your right hand.

Then the next song comes on. It’s a romantic one you loved as a teen. You immediately feel a shift in the air around you, and it’s clear Chan does too. His thumb stops massaging the back of your hand, and he’s looking at you timidly.

Settle down with me. Cover me up, cuddle me in.

You look at each other more intently now. From a distance, the dark brown of his irises can almost appear completely black, blending in with his pupils. But this close to him, you can make out the different shades of deep brown.

Lie down with me.

Chan swallows deeply. You see his Adam's apple bobbing up and down in his throat, almost in slow motion. He sees your eyes move down for just a second. He blushes and a small smile forms on his lips. He's so beautiful.

And hold me in your arms.

Chan’s thumb restarts the circular motion on the top of your hand. You turn your upper body to face him and he does the same. This moment seems so intimate, so fantastic. How can no one else in the room feel this?

And your heart's against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck.

Chan runs his left hand up and back down your right arm; goosebumps rise there immediately. His right hand moves towards your face, but hovers just above your skin. You close the distance so his fingertips lightly brush your cheek. His touch is electrifying.

I’m falling for your eyes, but they don't know me yet.

You take a quick, deep breath to steady yourself. At that moment, Chan seems to realize that he hasn't been breathing at all and takes a deep, shuddering breath. You try and fail to hold back a smile.

Eyes intently watching your face, Chan moves his right thumb across your cheek and pushes some stray hair behind your ear. His left hand moves toward the middle of your back, pulling you closer. It feels like there's no one else in the room, the building, the Earth; just you two.

And with a feeling I'll forget, I'm in love now.

Your arms quickly and smoothly slide to his chest, resting just under his collarbones. Chan runs his right hand back across your cheek, resting it right under your left ear. His thumb traces back and forth right above your jawline.

He tilts his head down so his forehead touches yours. His mouth is so close — you can feel his warm breath on your lips.

Kiss me like you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved, you wanna be loved.

Your lips barely touch, but Chan leans in to maintain contact. It's sweet and still for a few seconds until you lower your jaw, parting your lips to give him access to your mouth. He eagerly accepts.

This feels like falling in love, falling in love.

Your lips move together slowly, settling into a rhythm. Everything fades away. You can only hear the music and Chan’s heartbeat. Or is that yours? Probably both. You can't concentrate on anything other than his lips. They're so soft, so perfect. He's so perfect.

The kiss doesn't last long in reality, but it feels like a hundred years have passed since you sat down on that couch. With one last peck, you pull back, eyes still shut tight.

You take a deep breath and slowly open your eyes. They meet Chan’s instantly. He rubs your cheek once more, and the most beautiful, genuine, excited, loving smile you have ever seen crosses his lips — and you can’t help but beam right back at him.

The kiss was perfect. The moment was perfect.

He was perfect.

Falling in love.

[jokeroutsubs]

EXCLUSIVE NEWS: Joker Out sign with Wasserman agency.

As reported by Siol, Metropolitan, and other Slovenian media outlets, Joker Out have signed a contract with a booking agency, Wasserman. The Wasserman agency, which was established in 2002, is one of the biggest agencies in the world and is active in a total of 32 countries around the world.s

The following is a translation of the Siol article, published today, 7.11.2023:

DO NOT REPOST!

New success for Joker Out

Exciting news is coming from the camp of the hottest Slovenian group. Recently, an agency that takes care of a number of celeberities has taken them under their wing, they just recieved a gold plaque in Finland for their song Carpe Diem, meanwhile they're playing multiple sold out concerts.

After playing the biggest headlining concert in their career, Joker Out signed a contract with the booking agency Wasserman, who represents many famous musicians, such as Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, Imagine Dragons, Lorde, Skrillex and Run The Jewels.

[Photo caption: Joker Out with the golden plaque which they received for their success on the Finnish music market. Photo: Vita Orehek]

After signing with the agency Wasserman, the group recieved another award - a golden plaque for their single Carpe Diem, which gathered two million streams in Finland. The award was presented on Friday by Virgin Music Group at a press conference in Belgrade which was confirmed by IFPI Finland. The song Carpe Diem has gained over 40 million streams worldwide.

"Proof that language isn't a barrier for a successful international career"

"This award isn't only a confirmation of their success outside their national domestic market, but also proof that language isn't a barrier for a successful international career," said Fabian Stilke, general manager for Universal Music Group in the western Balkan region.

[Photo caption: Concert in Belgrade. Photo: Vita Orehek]

In October, Joker Out played two concerts in Novi Sad, were guests at Rakičan manor, fired up Vienna, and played two more euphoric concerts in Belgrade at the end of last week.

The Serbian music portal Headliner wrote that it was a concert "As if tomorrow didn't exist". On Friday and Saturday, they're preparing the same party in Tvornica Kulture in Zagreb, which will be followed up by concerts in Warsaw, Vilnius, Wroclaw, Poznan, Prague, Rijeka, Skopje, Munich, The Hague, Amsterdam, Madrid, Barcelona, Celje, Maribor and Novo mesto.

Translation cr: @joyridinglove, proof read by IG Gboleyn123

DO NOT REPOST!

[daemonsrhaenyras]

Music poll!

*Listed in order of rank. Info pulled from HERE on 8/8/2024.

[daisyblog]

Ed Sheeran Concert

When We Were Young Masterlist Summary: Louis and YN finally make the first move.

"Tommo you're overthinking this" Liam spoke as the Yorkshire boy paced back and forth, in front of the sofa where the four other boys were currently sitting.

"I'm fookin' nervous..what if I mess this up..it's my only chance" Louis argued.

"Lou, what are you nervous about..she's already agreed to go with you" Harry questioned as his eyes followed Louis as he continued to pace.

"'cause she thinks we're going as friends-".

"Well be bold and just make a move" Niall shrugged, almost like it was the most obvious thing to do, making Louis stop and look at him.

"Yeh..thanks smart arse why didn't I think of that" Louis sarcastically said.

"He's got a point" Zayn spoke up for the first time.

"Lads..I can't just make a move..it's not that fookin' easy" the four boys sat silently looking at Louis "Whot...why are you all looking at me like tha'?".

"'cause it is that easy Lou" Harry answered.

Louis signed, getting frustrated and regretting asking the boys over to his and Harry's flat for help. Louis had asked YN the previous day if she wanted to go to Ed Sheeran's concert with him in Manchester tomorrow night as the band had a couple of days off.

The band had just finished an interview and were waiting in a room backstage for their team to finish what they were doing. YN was talking to Louise and the boys were sat on the chairs in the corner of the room.

"Go and ask her Lou" Harry encouraged, nudging his arm.

"I'll ask her later" Louis tried to avoid talking to YN at that very moment.

"No..do it now because you'll chicken out" Liam said.

"Fine" Louis snapped at the boys nagging him.

As Louis walked over to where YN is talking, he took a deep breath, preparing himself to be rejected. He fluffed his hair with his hands, making the boys snicker and giggle from where they watched their nervous friend. YN had finished her conversation and turned around as Louis approached her, making her bump into him.

"Oh sorry Lou" YN gently smiled up at his slightly taller frame.

"Sorry love" Louis nervously said "Um..I..uh".

"Everything okay?" YN asked with a giggle watching the boy stutter.

Louis opened and closed his mouth a few times, making Niall cover his mouth to avoid his loud laugh coming out. "Uh..I..I wanted to..ask you something".

"Yeah..sure of course you can babe" YN smiled up at him.

"I'm going to Manchester..to see Ed..Ed Sheeran..and..do you..I wanted to ask if..you know.." YN smiled encouraging Louis to continue "If you wanted to come with me..to the concert?".

"Oh Lou...I'd love to" YN leaned up to wrap her arms around his shoulders as she leaned her head on his shoulder, making him do the same. From where he stood he could see the other boys high-five each other and give Louis a thumbs up, making him roll his eyes at their childishness.

"How is it easy?...I end up stuttering every time it's just us and looking like an idiot" Louis argued as he sat down on the chair opposite.

"Start off slow..it's gonna be a busy crowd so hold her hand and play it off like you don't want to lose her or something" Liam suggested.

"I say just go for it...you're already her cuddle buddy" Niall teased, making Zayn flick his ear.

"Lou...don't listen to these two idiots..just go and enjoy yourself..you'll know in the moment if something feels right or not...don't think too much about it" Harry spoke sense to his best mate.

"I agree with Harry man..you'll just know..you can't plan stuff like that" Zayn agreed.

---

As planned Louis had picked YN up to drive up to Manchester ahead of the concert. Music playing from the radio, YN would sing along now again when the pair weren't chatting.

"Are you sure your Mum doesn't mind me staying the night too..I can book into a hotel or something still?" YN spoke. As Manchester wasn't too far away from Doncaster, Louis' hometown, he wanted to make most the time off and see his family too.

"Love..for the millionth time she doesn't mind...in fact it was her idea so stop worrying" Louis reassured her "Plus...my sisters are so excited to see you..my Mum too..I think they love you more than me" Louis joked.

"I doubt that..you're a proper Mummy's boy" YN teased him.

"I am" Louis agreed nodding his head.

"I think it's cute" YN complimented as she turned to look at Louis in the driving seat. Was he blushing?

"You're cute" Louis spoke without thinking, making his eyes widen, secretly hoping she didn't hear him.

As they both entered the venue where the concert was being held, they both stuck to the back of the crowd trying to blend in. They had taken the risk of going without security, a couple of fans had noticed them and asked for photos which they happily took. The fans respected the pair's privacy and went back to their original spot and only glancing at them now and again. Louis had realised that this was not the place to make his move with so many watching eyes. But it didn't stop him from admiring her from where he stood, YN was carefree, lived every moment as if it was her last and didn't care who watched her.

As Ed sings 'The A Team', YN can't help but sing along and as notices Louis standing there just watching. She entwines their hands and lifted them up in the air, nudging him to join her singing.

She's in the Class A Team

Stuck in her daydream

Been this way since eighteen

In that moment, he knew he was in too deep and had fallen for his bandmate.

---

It was around 11:30pm when Louis and YN arrived at his Mum's house in Doncaster, meaning his younger sisters were asleep. He knew his Mum was awake as she had text him earlier in the evening to say she would wait up for them. Hearing his car pull up in the driveway, his Mum stood by the front door waiting to see her son and, his bandmate.

Louis pulled his Mum into a tight embrace "I've missed you my baby boy", YN couldn't help but smile at the loving moment. "You too my love" Jay spoke to YN whilst pulling her in for a motherly hug.

"Thank you so much letting me stay" YN thanked her.

"You don't need to thank me darlin'" Jay spoke sweetly "C'mon in you both come". As the three walked into the lounge, Jay added "Plus the girls are so excited to see you..so prepare yourself for the chaos in the morning"

"I feel like they're growing and changing every time I see them" Louis commented "The photo of the twins you sent me the other day…they look so much older"

"They are..they're like stroppy teenagers already" Jay joked.

"Alfie's the same" YN began "I feel like he's going to be off to uni before I know it"

After catching up with Louis' Mum, the three decide it was time to call it a night before their early wake-up call from his younger siblings in the morning. Louis was staying in his childhood bedroom and YN was in the guest room, further down the hallway. After an hour of tossing and turning, not being able to sleep, Louis decided to go downstairs and get a glass of water to drink. As he entered the kitchen, he was startled to see YN standing against the counter sipping on what looked like tea.

"Hey" Louis spoke into the dimly lit room, making YN jump.

"Fucking 'ell Lou..you scared me" YN tried to whisper, so she didn't wake the others.

"Sorry love" Lou chuckled, walking over to where she stood so he could make a cup of tea for himself. "Can't sleep?"

"No..I don't know why..I hope it was okay to make myself some tea..it usually helps"

"O'course it is love" Louis reassured her before pouring the hot water into his own mug.

"Why are you awake anyway?" she asked him.

"Dunno...just thinking"

"About?"

You "Nothing" he shrugged.

"Loouuu"

He turned to look at the girl next to him, even when she was wearing her unmatching pyjamas, hair in its natural state and a bare face, she was still beautiful in his eyes. "I..um..I need to tell you something" Louis spoke softly, "I..I..I don't know how to te-"

Louis wasn't sure if he was dreaming or if it was all in his head but time stood still when YN leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. It was so soft and gentle, he could have missed it. As she quickly pulls away, she whispers a quiet 'sorry' and looks away from his gaze. Taking her face in his hands, he places his lips back onto hers. Whilst the kiss is still gentle, their movements are a little more rushed. YN's hand find their way to grip his t-shirt, one of Louis' hands is placed on the back of her neck keeping her close, whilst the other one has moved down and is pulling at her hip. After a few minutes lost in the moment and each other, they pull apart, unable to hide their smiles.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that" Louis admits as he leans his forehead on hers.

"Me too" YN leans up and leaves a peck on his lips. Now she's had a taste, she can't get enough.

"C'mon lets go and cuddle"

---

Louis woke to the sound of voices and movement downstairs, letting him know his sisters were awake. He looked to his side and YN was fast asleep, her hands tucked under her chin. Wanting to let her sleep, he placed a gentle peck on her head and got out of bed, putting on his t-shirt and shorts. As he walked through the door to the kitchen, he could smell breakfast cooking and was immediately greeted by his four sisters.

"Morning Kiddos" Louis messed up Daisy and Pheobe's hair.

"Where's YN?" Lottie eagerly asked.

"Aw thanks Lot...never mind about me..I see who's your favourite" Louis teased "She's still sleeping"

Once her had made a fuss of his younger siblings, he wrapped his arm around his Mum's shoulder as she was buttering some toast "Morning Mum"

"Good morning my darlin" Jay greeted him, with a little smirk.

"Whot?" Louis looked at his Mum suspiciously.

"Aw nothing" Her smirk still present.

"Mum..whot is it?"

"Did you sleep okay?"

"Uh..yeh?" Louis said, almost asking a question.

"Any midnight kisses?" Jay teased.

Louis closed his eyes and cringed with embarrassment "Muuum"

"Hey..it was the last thing I expected to see when I came down for some water" Jay spoke as she passed the twins their toast "But..I can't say I'm surprised either...you couldn't hide your feelings if you tried"

Interrupting the conversation, YN appeared at the door "Morning" causing the girls to run and hug her, Jay looked on and smiled at the scene. As Louis caught YN's gaze, he sent her a little smirk and wink, a blush coating her cheeks. Maybe it was that easy!

Tag List: (let me know if you would like to be added) @peterholland04

[thebroccolination]

[ GawinKrist ] Ed Sheeran's "Photograph" Cover

Hi! I felt like waxing poetic about Gawin and Krist for a bit because I love them and I'm proud of them. <3

Even though GawinKrist aren't working together now, I definitely think they will again someday. For sure on music. They've both said they want to do a concert together one day, and they were starting to amass quite a loyal following while BMF was airing, so they'll always have an enthusiastic audience.

Just. Man. Listen to them harmonize. See how much they enjoy singing together. It's lovely to me that they'll always have music to connect them professionally, even apart from their offscreen friendship. :')

Early on in promotion for Be My Favorite, Krist explained to fans that he and Gawin had discussed how to market the series in a way that would be comfortable for both of them, especially for Gawin. GMMTV's current marketing leans very, very hard on their actors posting relentlessly to social media to the point that a lot of them are arguably more influencer than actor, and while it's been enormously effective and lucrative for GMMTV, it doesn't leave much leeway for talents like Gawin who aren't especially outgoing or loud online.

No hearing person can deny Gawin's gift for singing. He has a gorgeous voice, and he puts so much emotion into what he sings, there's a reason why a lot of people see him as a singer first. Bewilderingly, though, GMMTV just doesn't seem to know what to do with him. And some of that is on Gawin, sure. He said at his birthday event in August that he knew he'd been holding back in the past and that he wanted people to know him more from then on, but this industry is rough, and I think he's still figuring out how to navigate everything in a way that isn't overwhelming to him.

When I spoke to Gawin at the BMF finale event back in August, he exuded this absolute wave of kindness, sincerity, and humility. Like. He was just so incredibly sweet while I told him how proud I was of him and how well he did in the series. And when he said to me, "I'm just grateful you all came," I thought, He has no idea how loved he is. (Probably because DBK and Not Me became popular during lockdown and they weren't able to hold the Polca/PoddGawin event until two years later, and he's never had a permanent partner, so he's been in an odd sort of limbo all this time.)

Pisaeng was Gawin's first starring role, and his first time marketing a series as a lead. You can tell from all the promotional materials that Krist wanted this to go smoothly for him. At that same finale event, Krist broke down crying because he'd been carrying the stress of thinking that the torment he'd been through would affect Gawin's experience, too. But on the contrary, I think Krist was the best thing that's ever happened to Gawin's career.

I've heard stories from people behind the scenes that Krist was always extremely attentive to Gawin. He explained how to do little things that were intuitive to him as a veteran in the industry, and he made sure Gawin understood. He talked him through rough spots during and after filming. In interviews, he led discussions and tried to keep things on point. And whenever Gawin automatically shrank back from the spotlight, Krist gently steered him back to it. At their MUSICON performance in July (THE FIRST TIME GAWIN EVER PERFORMED LIVE, GMMTV MAY WE SPEAK PRIVATELY), Krist literally pulled Gawin to the front of the stage because he noticed Gawin hiding in the back. And at those concerts, Krist was the most senior there, so he was MC, performer, and Leader of the Nongs, but he never let his self-assigned duties as Gawin's partner falter. Over and over, event after event, Gawin looked happier and happier, and Krist looked prouder and prouder of him.

I think Gawin and Krist worked so well together because Krist saw the unappreciated jewel Gawin is and met him exactly where he was to bring him into the spotlight. He coaxed Gawin into shining brighter. Built his confidence until he could stand in the spotlight like he deserved to be there. The difference between that first MUSICON performance and his perfomance at Krist's solo concert is staggering.

And at Krist's solo concert, before their final appearance together as GawinKrist, Krist told the audience how proud he was. How talented Gawin is, and how he deserves a chance to be extraordinary. There's a reason why they call each other their safe zone, and I honestly believe no one wants to see Gawin thrive in this industry and behind the scenes more than Krist. He called him his favorite nong, and Krist is famously indulgent and lovely with all his nongs.

When Gawin was announced to replace Mike in Be My Favorite, I was over the moon. I loved him in DBK and Not Me and even his bit role in Enchanté. And I knew he and Krist would get along. Gawin's temperament is similar enough to Singto's, and Krist just generally gets along with everyone he works with, and they have that deep love of music in common.

Even though they had to put up with a lot (hateful people in general, fans who refused to watch Krist in a series with anyone but Singto, fans who refused to watch Gawin in a series with anyone but Podd or First, fans who tormented Krist, fans who tormented Gawin, expectations, pressure, stress, etc.), they handled all of it with incredible grace, and they made my favorite series on top of it. <3

And when it was time to end their partnership, they did that gracefully, too.

It's possible that Krist knew for a long time that Singto was considering coming back to GMMTV. I think Gawin knew, too, since he and Singto hang out. And of course GMMTV probably knew. It would explain why the company never put much energy into promoting the series or GawinKrist as a partnership.

But the fact that a member of the Trinity had a separate semi-official partner for any amount of time is bananas if you think about it. Hasn't happened to Singto, Off, Gun, Tay, or Newwiee. But because Singto turned down Be My Favorite (likely because he'd already informed GMMTV he was leaving) and took some time away, Gawin ended up with this incredible opportunity to star in a high quality series that was intended for KristSingto. That's so fucking cool! He's the only person to have ever partnered with a member of the Trinity! That's fucking wild??? We don't talk enough about how cool and wild that is. Good for Gawin!

And good for Singto!

I'm glad Singto took time outside GMMTV to explore opportunities he might not have gotten otherwise. I know he did it because he was thinking about studying abroad for years, and he kind of waffled around figuring out what to do once he was out, but man, sometimes you need to do that. I'm glad he had time with his dad. I'm glad he had a house built for himself and his dad. I'm glad he got to spend time with his friends (I mean, sort of, he's a weird cave-dwelling lion like Gawin, so apparently he doesn't actually go out much). Most importantly, Singto got to have privacy with Krist. And man, I think they needed it, but they also deserved it. The two of them have been in this industry for so long, and most of us have seen what happens to people when they monetize their friendship, relationship, family, etc. "KristSingto" is a brand, but Krist and Singto are close friends who have managed, against all odds, to find a way to preserve their bond and promote themselves as a brand without buckling under the strain.

I'm so glad the two of them had time to themselves. I think it saved them as people and preserved what's beautiful about their partnership.

GMMTV wouldn't let Krist work on BL with anyone but Singto until Singto literally left GMMTV, and Krist himself used to say he didn't want to work with anyone but Singto because he was afraid working with someone else would change their chemistry. I hope working with Gawin showed him that nothing could do that. He'll always, always have his chemistry with Singto. Maybe it'll evolve, maybe it'll mature, but it'll always be there. And if Singto hadn't left, Krist might never have gotten the opportunity to find that out. I think they'll be stronger now because of it.

Watching Be My Favorite was transcendental for me, and seeing GawinKrist work together was wonderful. They started as relative strangers who might've said hello to each other in the hallway at work, and now they're each other's safe zone. It seems fitting that they starred in a series about time travel and multiple timelines, because if Gawin hadn't been cast, if Krist had never worked with Gawin, think of all they could have missed out on. The friendship, the opportunities, the growth, the pride, and the joy.

And the music.

I sincerely, profoundly believe they'll work together again if they want to, and I'll be cheering them on if they do. <3

[foxes-that-run]

Can you please write a list of mutual friends between Harry and Taylor?

I’m not sure I could write an exhaustive one, it’s also only those that we know they interacted with we don’t really know who they are friends with. There are a lot of mutual industry connections. Those that play a role in the story, in no particular order just the ones that come to mind, also they are from any period some are no longer friends with either:

Ed Sheeran - knew Ed when they were coming up and introduced him to Taylor… or rather Taylor randomly asked to meet him while secretly dating Harry who he lived with. 🤭

Cara - has been close with them both for years

Haim sisters - Harry was hanging out with them this year in London and they are very close to Taylor. Haim are managed by Jeff.

Nathan & Caleb Followill (kings of Leon) and lily Aldridge- Caleb has said that Harry and Nathan have a ‘weird relationship’ they have matching tattoos and are very close, Caleb is married to Lilly, Taylor’s close friend. The last time they were seen together in 2015 was Caleb’s birthday party, Lillys husband. (The Toe/Kings of Leon April 29 theory is laughable for this reason)

Stevie Nicks - Stevie has described Harry as the son she never had and is also fond of Taylor, she has given them both moon necklaces. She invited Harry to perform with her this year on Christine’s birthday and attended the eras show, wrote a poem in TTPD

Jeff Azoff & his ex-Roxy Olin- they dated in 2012 when Jeff met Harry, Roxy was friends with Ashley Avignone and Claire Winter and hung out with Taylor in the Kennedy era, Irving has also said nice things about Taylor

Niall - while closer to Harry Niall is a huge Taylor fan and they performed together

Zayn & Gigi, Gigi was close with Taylor, dated Zayn while doing IDWLF together. Zayn has been papped hanging out with both off work

Selena & Justin- Taylor and Justin were friendly, they did promotions together back in the day before they fell out completely. Justin canon introduced them and at various points the 1D boys have said they knew him.

Professional/other connections - it’s a bit blurred in that business/with them but there’s also a lot of people who’ve worked with both or are collegiate with them both (or close with one/chose to interact with the other):

Jeff Basker worked on Holy Ground with Taylor and most of HS1 with Harry

Jack - obviously one of Taylor’s closest friends and collaborators wrote with Harry for ‘not a typical live song’

Kid Harpoon- also one of Harry’s closest friends and collaborators follows Taylor

Chris Martin - I don’t think he’s close with either but he knows them both. he’s been seen hanging out with Harry and Harry played Fine Line to him, he’s also given Harry shout outs and seemed genuine when he played Taylor songs in Vienna this year

Florence Welch - while she seems professional with them both she also has been seen with them both this year - Taylor on/performing Florida! And Harry at a concert soon after. Kid Harpoon has worked with her a lot.

Ryan Tedder - worked with them both and said he knows them both

Gary Lightbody - I don’t think he would consider Taylor a friend but they wrote together and I think he is friends with Harry

Johnny McDaid & Courtney Cox - it’s well documented that they hung out together at the same time and Johnny has written with Harry

Max Martin - I think he’s the friend she knows from work, he’s worked on a lot of Taylor’s bigger hits and wrote with Harry before he started hs1

James Corden - friends with Harry and while I think it’s mostly a professional relationship he was photographed laughing with Taylor at a Brit’s after party

Stella & Paul McCartney - Stella is close with Taylor and designed clothes for her, Paul has interviewed Taylor. Paul has also interviewed Harry and Stella danced with Harry at a concert in 2019.

Robbie Williams - I don’t think close with either but Taylor invited him to perform on the Rep tour and Robbie was a mentor to Harry on Xfactor and Robbie/Harry seem to have a mutual respect

Kendall - was friendly with Taylor (she was in the squad for a minute) and dated Harry

Karlie Kloss - there’s only one photo of KK with Harry in Italy in 2018 (and it’s fire) but they have been at the same event (with Taylor too) a few times.

John Mayer! (And Katy Perry) - odd connection because I think he and Taylor don’t talk but he has worked with Harry and said they’ve hung out, Katy once performed with Taylor, she’s on the Fearless DVD and photographed with Harry

Simon Cowell! - although they both dislike him now Simon was Harry’s boss when he asked Taylor to write Sweeter than fiction for One Chance

There is also people who are connected to or dated one and are fans of the other:

Gemma is a loud swifty, she posted about watching the 1989 tour, signing karaoke and used Taylor’s music in posts

Anne - has also used Taylor’s music in posts

Camille was a fan of Taylor’s. There’s photos of her in a 1989 tour shirt

Olivia had Taylor’s music on a playlist

Todderick liked openly Haylor stuff

Lou Teasdale also played Taylor’s music at karaoke and posted it

I’ve heard that Austin hung out with Harry, Harry asked a friend for a signed record to Taylor to give him, but I don’t directly know of them hanging.

Harris Reed has posted Taylor stuff

[chronically-autistic-dinosaur]

In the summer of 2022, Shawn Mendes cancelled his world tour 7 shows in so that he could focus on his mental health. Between that time and now, he spent a lot of time on himself and with his family/friends and away from the public eye for the most part. He did a Tommy campaign last year as well as appearing as a special guest for both Ed Sheeran and Niall Horan at their respective shows. Lately, he’s been spending a lot of time in the studio, which was something he had a hard time doing last year.

Today, he announced he’s headlining Rock in Rio in September and that he is also working on a new album ❤️ He hasn’t been on stage (other than his guest appearances) since July 2022. Idk if he’s doing any other festival dates prior to this one. If not, his Rock in Rio performance will be his FIRST concert in front of a large crowd in over two years. This is absolutely HUGE for Shawn 🥹 He has come so far in the last couple of years and grown so much as a person. I’m super proud of him and this achievement.

I can’t wait for his new album and whatever else this year will bring for him.

[krukel]

After @seokoilua posted about the My Life, My Music interview (a while ago, this post is partially from my drafts!) I went to relisten to it. And in general it is a very fun interview with a lot of insightful moments about their creation process (Ne Bi Smel in particular) and the mixing process for example. Their voices in general are very soft (in tone, not volume) especially when talking to each other and the vibe is 🥰 I wanted to highlights some of my favourite moments because I want more people to know about them:

2:35 - They talk a bit about doing many concerts in a row and Kris says: "At one point in the summer we had four consecutive days of concerts and the fourth day was already the wors-" (gets cut of by Bojan). Knowing they have now done 7 concerts in 6 days during the nordic tour this is a little funny and a little sad to hear :(

3:59 - Not necessarily a moment but the first song (chosen by Bojan) is Ni Panike by Masayah and I think more people should go listen to Masayah so I'm including it >:)

14:30 - Ne Bi Smel was first called "burning room" and, quoting Bojan, "it couldn't have been more of an Ed Sheeran song." It sounds like the rest was not initially impressed: "and when I brought it to the rehearsal room the boys were like, yeah, hm, yeah no. and I think Jure just started banging on the drums and the guys took on the guitars and started playing some riff."

15:35 - The host asks a question about something they said somewhere else and Bojan and Kris argue a bit about who said that in the first place. It's very cute and my favourite moment is Bojan whispering at the end "I don't think so" because of course he needs to get last word in

21:34 - Hater!Kris returns because apparently he sends "not to appealing" songs to the groupchat?

Kris (about Jet Black Diamonds): The first time that we heard them it was their first single Retro Anorak, and I remember sending over the video to the guys in the group chat and I was like "oh, this is interesting," because usually I send some really… not too- Host: Obscure Kris: No no. Not too appealing Slovenian songs, because- Bojan: Yeah, Kris does that Kris: to be honest there's loads of them and I keep kinda getting them recommended somehow on Facebook or I dunno, it's like a positive feedback loop

Honestly the most surprising thing to me about this is that in the year of our lord 2022 Kris still used Facebook actively enough to stumble across things like that

23:56 - Kris talks about forming Buržoazija and how his guitar instructor recommended Jan: "Jan at that point was really like- I didn't really understand what he was about, he was like an introverted guy, really, also listening to a lot of metal and I was like "okaaay? I guess we'll try?" and then we started to practice and really got along."

25:45 - Luka (Apokalipsa's guitar player) and Martin already knew how to play and Bojan didn't and that's how they decided that he should sing. Also their first performance (also up on youtube, baby Bojči is very cute) was two (2!!) weeks after they started practising together

28:49 - About creating outside of Slovenia

Host: Is there something specific that you haven't yet done that you are desperately keen to do, or is this gonna gently evolve? Bojan: I dunno about the desperately want to do, I guess one thing we "truly desperately want to do" is go out of Slovenia to create. To try a new space. So go to a studio somewhere outside of our borders and see if the mindflow is different there. That is the only thing I can think of right now. Maybe Kris has- Kris: In addition to that, I really wanna see us tour anywhere, anywhere outside of Slovenia" Host: You are beginning to get to the audience already a little bit, […], you can find opportunities Kris: Yes, yes, we are, don't worry about it. We just don't want to talk to much about it yet Bojan: Let's say we're gonna have another interview next year and we're gonna have so much to talk about

This was before Hamburg where they created Carpe Diem and before London and honestly I'm glad they're getting to experience that Erasmus+/semester abroad experience because it's something they really wanted to do and they seem to be enjoying it a lot

[sara-did-not-find-a-cool-name]

My experience with Music…

Hi ! My name is Sara, you probably won’t see which Sara I am but that is part of the mystery !

We are invited to present who our favorites artists are this week, so I will talk about the few that impacted my consumption of music through my life. Moreover, I will present what I observed in concerts. 

When I was a little girl, my dad loved to put music at full volume on our car so we could scream the lyrics of the songs. He made me listen to the artists that have impacted him. So, if you put a song of Jean Jacques Goldman, it is highly possible that I will be able to sing it. He also loved to put Linkin Park (so I am very happy of their return). At the same time, and from my childhood to very recently, he was part of a gospel choral. In fact, I was at all the rehearsals and now I adore this type of music. If you want, you can check out @leschantsdecoton on YouTube and I can assure you, you will be impressed by the perfect control of the singers’ notes and how it impacts the songs due to different sections.

Anyway, as a teenager, I was like all the others girls a big fan of Tal who was the first artist I saw on concert, but I also know all the songs of Adele, and some of Ed Sheeran’s, Imagine Dragons’… 

I describe myself as someone who love different type of music because I listen daily to classical music, rock, pop, k-pop but also rap… and I discover new artists very frequently !

Today, if I had to choose only one artist to present you, it would be YustonXIII. He does rap but what I love with his songs, is that you have a melody you can remember easily and which you can sing while you are listening to it. I went to his concert in Strasbourg in March and I did not know before that how much of a fan I was. It was amazing and I already am very nostalgic of it. 

I was scared of the people that was on the front row, it was like they were in front of their god and it was very strange to observe even if I knew this implicite fact. What I found amazing is the compassion between every person at these types of event. I went alone with the fear of crowds. However, people were lovely and very helpful. Some took me under their wings and, because they already went to his concert, they made me go in front of them so I could enjoy it more. It was an amazing experience I won’t forget. I went to another concert that was very similar (Alexander Stewart, American pop artist, Paris) and I have the impression that for small artists, in small concert hall, that people are very kind and comprehensive without any competition as we can see on TV with big artists like Taylor Swift or K-pop artists where people are pushing others to be on the front row. That is very pleasant.

I hope you had a great time reading to my first post and wish you a great week-end !

Sara